I scrutinized the images a little longer, my brows furrowing. Perplexed, I sighed and read the description… the joke was on me!

Magritte simply wanted to show how we attach certain symbols, like letters and sounds, to concepts and objects. Us humans have collectively agreed to associate the combined letters d-o-g with the animal that is a dog.

By labeling objects with unmatched words, Magritte invites us to question our perception of life itself.

As small children, we learned to use symbols to speak, understand and interact with the world around us. Caretakers eventually teach us what’s good/bad, right/wrong and beautiful/ugly.

Beliefs distort reality

The Ruizes write that our experience of life shifts according to our beliefs.

Imagine a cinema where you could watch a movie of your own life through your point of view. Then, you visit the next theater and discover a film of your dad’s life through his point of view.

As you watch your loved ones’ films, you realize that they perceive you, themselves and the world much differently from you. Your loved ones might suddenly seem like strangers.

Perhaps you don’t know yourself as well as you thought.

So, it’s best to avoid taking things personally (the Second Agreement). Because everyone’s projecting their views onto each other. And you’re only responsible for your own actions and decisions.

My dad used to criticize me for everything

For example: in my gymnastics class, all the girls slicked their hair back in tight ponytails. One day, I came downstairs, refreshed for the day, with a perfect ponytail (my 9 year-old hands had tied and retied it for 20 minutes!).

My dad glanced above his newspaper at me and immediately grumbled, You shouldn’t tie your hair so tight. Do you want your hair to fall out?

Day after day, year after year, his criticisms whittled me down.

20 years later, my dad owned up to his overcritical ways. I had healed enough to receive his apology and even listen to his perspective.

Like watching both of our movies at the same time, I saw how our respective beliefs pushed us towards certain actions.

My dad believed in a dog-eat-dog world. So, he thought the best way to show his kids love and prepare them for success was to criticize them.

Question your beliefs, but hold others accountable for their words and actions as well.

Perfection includes your “flaws”

“The sun is perfect, the stars are perfect, the planets are perfect, but when it comes to the humans, ‘Nobody’s perfect.’ The truth is that everything in creation is perfect, including the humans.” —Don Miguel Ruiz and Don Jose Ruiz

What if we believed that we’re already perfect?

That our good and bad traits are in their right place?

Too much of a good thing can be harmful. And our worst traits can teach us how to be wiser, if we listen.

The yin yang symbol (or rather, its principles 😉) has become my North Star. What goes up must come down. To know joy, we must know misery.

In other words, all of life is interrelated. The yin yang symbol illustrates the overarching perfection of the universe.

When you brood about past hurts or failures, find the “gift” or opportunity.